Fan for pneumatic stackers.



J. K. SHARPB, Jn. FAN FOB. PNEUMATIG STAUKEBS.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 7, 1908.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

FLE

23g www dlzhotnna UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH. K, SHARPE, JR., OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THEINDIANA MANU- FACTURING COMPA N Y, VIRGINIA.

OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF WEST FAN FOR PNEUMATICSTACKEBS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. v3, 1908.

Application filed my v, 190s. sei-iai No. 431,32.

.Teelt whom it may concern:

`Be it known that I, Josnrn K. SnAnPn, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin f at Indianapolis, inthe county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new end useul- Improvements in Fans forPneumatic' Stackers, of lwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lfans for pneumatic stackerssuch as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 717,565, issuedDecember 30, 1902, to Albert A. Steltmg, and consists in certainvdetails of construction and arrangements of parts whereby I am enabledto simplify the construction thereof, and in means for insuring that thefrictional driving element shall not cease its rotary motion prior tothe cessation of motion of the driven element, and the uniform eripheralsurface of said 'driving element. Ahns maintained and undue abrasion or'ilattenin of any portion thereof avoided by the ot erwise continuedVrotation of the driven element, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained.

. The accompanying-drawings illustrate my invention.

'Figure lis a transverse vertical sectional view of a stacker fan andassociated operatoing devices; Fig. 2, a bottom plan of the same; Fig.3, a section of the, ratchet pulle which may be employed in connectionwith said fan, and Fig. 4 a further detail of said Pvlleythedrawings,the portions marked 1() represent,l lupper and side portions of thecasingof" improved stacker fan, the upper portio whereof is providedwith an eye or ingress'opening 11,-it being understood,

of course, that said casing is permanently se-A cured in the stackerstructure and has a suitable'hopper or straw chamber leading into itsingress opening, and also has a discharge outlet leading therefrom, asusual. In a suitable bracket, 12, Imount the fain shaft] 13, to theupper end of which is secured 'me fan blades, 14, in any appropriatemannen The bottom, 15, of said fan casing is rigidly secured to saidshaft 13, and has 'formed therewith or connected thereto about its perihery an upwardly-extending flange, 16, wit 'n which the casing 10 1sclosely fitted, said bottom being in the form of a friction diskdesigned to be rotated (andV y5,5 simultaneously therewith thefanblades) b y engagement with the friction wheel, 17, mounted on theshaft, 18, supported in suitablebrackets, 19, or otherwise, and drivenby the ratchet pulley, 20, such arrangement of friction disk and fanblades constituting a frictionally driven fan.

In order to produce variable speeds of disk 15 the friction wheel 17 isso mounted as to be moved along shaft 18, and this may be accomplishedby any suitable means, that shown being a shifting rod, 21, mounted insuitable brackets, 22, 23, appropriately secured to the ,Stacker frame,one end of said shaft being screw-threaded and provided with an internalscrew-threaded hand-wheel, 24, Ia yoke, 25, being connected to theopposite end of said rod and secured to wheel l17, by the manipulationof which handwheel 24 said friction wheel 17 may be adj[ust'ed to thedesired position on shaft 18. t will also be understood that the contactor pressure between said friction disk and friction wheel must beproperly maintained at all times, and for such purpose I may provide anysuitable pressure regulating means, that shown `being a coiled spring,26, secured on the end hof shaft 13 bya set-nut, 27, by the adjustmentof which nut the tension of said spring may be controlled, so that byincreasing or diminishing such tension the `frictional engagementbetween friction Wheel 17 and disk 115-1nay be accordingly governed. Theherein described means for producing variable speed of disk 15, and forregulating and maintaining the ressure between sai disk and its drivingw eel 17, are similar to those disclosed in said patent herein referredto and specifically described therein, but, as indicated, I may employany appropriate means forsuch ur oses.

The friction w ee 17, and the disk 15 may be of any suitable material,an eiiicient arrangement for the purpose being a driving wheel providedWit a fibrousor other` peripheral surface, and a smooth metal disk.

In compensatinr the speed and improving tlieoperation of tie stacker fanby theeniplo nient of friction driving means, it is higiily importantthat the material thereof be protected from undue abrasion or flatteninat any point, and for this purpose I provi e the ratchet pulley, 20, onthe end of shaft 18, of'an appropriate construction'for the purpose,that illustrated being of a Well known and common form, being providedpower is appreciably diminished or'ceases,

with a consequent effect upon the ratchet pulle the ratchet sleeve byits momentum will isengage from the pawls land continue unvaryinglytherotation of shaft 18 and friction wheel 17, so that said wheel 1 7 andVdisk 15 are in regular and constant rotary contact, thus insuring thatthe friction wheel shall not first cease to rotate, and the frictiondisk 15 by its momentum continue to rotate for a period thereaftevhichcircumstance would cause-that portion of the fibousor other material onthe otherwise immovable friction wheel contacting with said disk tobecome worn or reduced to a flat condition,

. which, as will be readily understood, would render it unfit for use;and, therefore, by the application ofsuitable means, such as .a

ratchet pulley, for maintaining constant rotation of these elementsindependently of-any irregularityof speed of the prime motor. orintermediate driving mechanisms for the stacker fan, I am enabled toprevent'the uneven wearing or impairment of the friction pulleyindicated.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fan for pneumatic stackers comprising a casing, a rotatablefrictionally driven disk constituting the bottom of said casing, and fanWi s'associated with and rotati with said dis for ejecting materia] fromsali fan.

2. A fan for pneumatic stackers comprising a flaned rotatable disk, aeasing fitti within sai flange, fan-wings associated wit frictionallydriving said disk, and means for siniulta'ne'ouslyV ro' tating said diskand said fan wings 3. A fan for pneumatic stacke'rs compris-` tionallydriving the same, and means for driving said element.

4. In a pneumatic stacker, theI combina'- tion, with a fan structureco'rnprisi a rota-14 table bottom member, of means for rictionallydriving said member, means for adjusting saiddriving `means to vary thelspeed of said member, and means for rotating said driving means andmaintaining constant rotati/ve action between it and said memberindependently of the speed of any. prime motor which may be employed. v

5. In a ,pneumatic stacker, the combina-` tion of a fan casing, a fantherein, means for 4said fan, 4and means for maintaining'said anandvfrictional driving means in coincident rotary motion independentlyof the irregularity or cessation of speed of the initial driving meansfor'said fan.

6. A pneumatic stacker fan comprising a rotary disk having fan' wingsassociated therewith, means for frictionally rotating the same,pressure-regulating lmeans forcontrolling frlctional contact betweensaid fan 'and' its rotating means,.meansfornchanging the speed of saidfan, and means inde endent of t e initial driving source of said partingmotion to said rotating means` and said fan and maintaining thecoincident rotation thereof. i

In testimony whereof I afflxmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH K. slnniriaiitQ l-itnesses:V

JAMES A. l/VALSH, LEE 'R. GARBER.

an for im-

